Social Pragmatic Skills Program
Focus on Conversation Skills: Ages 6-8

The purpose of this program is to help your child become aware of and increasingly use the social pragmatic skills necessary for appropriate communication. Use of these skills will help her or him to be better understood and to better understand others. Improving communication skills can help your child get along better with people and feel better about herself or himself. Some questions your child should gain insight and answers to follow (curriculum will be designed to match the needs of each group):

How should I greet people of different ages?
Should I say anything after hello?
How do I know when it is my turn to talk?
Does my face tell something about what I say?
What happens when someone is in my talking space?
What happens when I whisper my answer?
What do TV, cartoons, and movies tell me about how to talk?
What do parents tell me about how to talk?
Do I have to look at people when I talk to them?
When do I know I have asked too many questions?
Would bad language tell the listener anything about me?
How do I change someone I know into a friend?
How do I know if I am bossy?
When I don't agree, what choices do I have to get what I want?
Do I use my outdoor voice indoors?
When is it okay to interrupt?

Each targeted social pragmatic skill is broken down into smaller steps to make it easier for your child to learn. We will engage in activities during the sessions to reinforce principles, including role playing, dramatizations, video analysis, games, and outings. One of the last sessions includes a meal and sleepover. These special activities will help to reinforce the use of the social pragmatic skills in a more natural setting.